Brandon, MS: Dogwood Press (pub: October 15, 2018)

Beth Brinkmann isn’t a little girl anymore, but not quite a young woman. Raised in a good home by loving parents in a comfortable little southern town where everyone knows everyone else, she realizes she has a good life. But there are growing pains. Some are small, like trying to adapt to waves of new kids at a different junior high. Others are deeply moving, such as watching the mother of a close friend suffer from Multiple Sclerosis.

Beth, however, has her father’s moxie. She overcomes her fear of dogs, finds the courage to serve as mascot of the Mimosa High School football team, and learns to make friends of all ages (including an unlikely one who encourages her budding talent as an artist). And as the bond between father and daughter deepens, Beth is even able to provide Max with some much-needed insight into the difficult relationship he continues to have with his own elderly father, Josef.

Beautifully-written and heartfelt, The Dance Between is a welcome and poignant return to Mimosa, Mississippi, and a coming-of-age story that will stay with you long after you’ve turned the final page. Sing along with Beth as she learns what true compassion is in the face of great difficulty, and dance with her on every step of her timeless journey.